Spirit
by The Midnight Maiden
Summary: Chihiro has forgotten all about her adventures in the afterworld. But, years later, when she dies, will she finally remember? And what about her friends? Do they still remain? Was it really all just a dream?
1. Chapter 1

It had been so long... so long ago. Chihiro was now a beautiful 23 year old girl, getting married and moving into her soon to be husband's house. What had happened before... it had only been a dream. A magical, impossible dream. Her parents had taken her to counseling, only one week after arrival to their knew house where Chihiro had come to realize.. it had all been a dream, some dream that was too good to be true. And with a firm dose of reality underway, Chihiro was on her way to a happy and completely normal lifestyle.

Through the years of teenage toil and adolescent feelings, she managed to be snagged by Jiro Susayaki, the perfect guy for any girl. He was caring, and headed on a path that made sure their future was headed on a straight and steady path. And through it all, Chihiro had finally forgotten all of her dreams and memories. Every magical moment, every mystical creature had been completely erased... or at least... that's what she'd thought.

"Chihiro!" Jiro called.

Chihiro looked over at him and smiled. His grin was so perfect... Everything about him was perfect in every way. But, everytime she saw him, something twanged in her heart. Not in the good way that it was described by all of her friends.. but it was the way... as if she were terribly wrong.. like she was making a mistake bigger than she realized.

"Hey," Jiro said, coming up to her, "The pond's been put in. You... Do you want to name it?"

Chihiro smiled widely and got up. There was no way she was making a mistake. He was just...

"Yeah!" Chihiro said, getting up and taking his hand, "Let's go."

There was a flash, a couple of pigs in her mind. Chihiro blinked and cleared her throat. Jiro only smiled and took her over to the small pond. Another flash. A magnificent white dragon, with piercing eyes. Chihiro started to shake. Jiro only smiled and looked at her, only to frown.

"Something wrong? Did you not want a pond or-"

Chihiro grabbed onto Jiro's arm to shush him and she looked into the water. Flashback, a black spirit, thin and tall, from a monster, and back. Nanny and Ubaba, the giant baby turned into a mouse, her parents turned to pigs, scary spirits, water spirits... water...

"Kohaku.." Chihiro said quietly.

"W-what?" Jiro asked.

"I'm naming it.. Kohaku River."

Everything was still. The wind blew lightly through the trees at once, making Chihiro's head turn in the direction of the old bathhouse.

Jiro cleared his throat. "Maybe we should go inside.. Get unpacked and stuff." Jiro took Chihiro's hand lightly and gave her a small tug in the house's direction with a small smile.

Chihiro was phased the rest of the afternoon. Many thoughts ran through her head. How did she forget? How could she have forgotten. Chihiro reached up into her hair and pulled out her ponytail, her thoughts reeling. The hairtie... it was real! All of this had to be real! And Kohaku had to be in the pond, he just had to be! She had named it for him!

Chihiro climbed out of the bed and quietly crept outside, to the pond. She knelt down to see herself in the surface. She had changed... so much. Almost too much. But, Kohaku never aged.. he was eternal. Chihiro reached to the pond and lightly skimmed across the surface. She felt something glide beneath her finger tips,

She gasped and pulled her hand back before reaching down again. She sighed lightly and realized it was a grass carp... probably put in by Jiro to make sure there was no scum.

Chihiro bit her lip. Something was wrong here. How was it, after so long, that Kohaku had never come back? He had promised... he had promised that they'd see each other once again. But here she was, 23 and about to get married to..

"Hey... Kohaku." Chihiro said, a little unsure of herself, "I don't know if you're actually here.." Chihiro cleared her throat and looked around before looking back down. "Look, you promised me.. okay? So, you can't be mad if I say that I'm..."

Chihiro looked around, "Engaged."

As if on cue the wind started to blow around her. It was strong.. and hurt. Chihiro stood up before yelling out and trying to grab onto something... anything. But, there was nothing there, and she fell, straight into the pond.

The pond was surprisingly clear, and calming. She didn't mind that she didn't know how to swim, if Kohaku willed it, she would be consumed by it. But, there was something wrong with this picture. The water... it was... vacant. There was nothing.. He wasn't here, he wasn't here!

Chihiro started to struggle with all of her might to get to the top of the pond. She kicked and tried to swim, but she ran out of air. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't breathe! She started to scream, but nobody could hear.. alas... not even Kohaku. Chihiro's eyes produced one last tear as she started to sink deeper and deeper than even seemed possible.

She sank, and sank, never feeling the bottom. But, it was a peaceful way down. She didn't have to breathe anymore.. it was just... peaceful. Easy.

Chihiro woke up, sitting up quickly and looking around. It was a ship, a golden ship. She looked around, spotting the festive lights and watching as the faces all around her materialized. Chihiro coughed lightly and watched their curious faces flood with happiness.

"Thank goodness you're awake." One of them said.

Chihiro smiled lightly and scratched her head. "Uhm... where.."

"You're dead." One of them said with a small, sad smile, "But we're headed somewhere to make you feel a whole lot better."

"Really?" Chihiro said, "Where?"

They all looked at each other strangely. Had she not heard them? They had told her straight out. Poor child, she must've been in denial.

"The bathhouse, dear." One had the courage to say.

Chihiro smiled, and they all went off. But then, she frowned. Why weren't they strange, like the last time? They had all been masks, and giant birds and radishes... Were they all really just normal? Was this something that only dead people could see? Was every creature.. or spirit... normal?

Chihiro shook her head. None of this added up. She must be dreaming! The last time she was here, things had changed so much! Was this what they all looked like behind the shadow? Did that mean she was nothing but a mere shadow anymore? Is this how everybody else had seen them?

Chihiro stood up, keeping herself composed. She had changed, since that day. She was 23 now... and that was how she would stay. She would be mature about this, and hopefully, hopefully, she would live this down. Chihiro smirked to herself. Maybe those hadn't been the correct choice of words. And as she saw the shoreline of the river come into view, she took a deep, empty breath. What would be in store? What would she be going through?

There was a second splash into the water, and a figure dived down deep, grabbing Chihiro's body and swimming her to the top. He pulled her out quickly and administered CPR, making her cough out of the water. "Chihiro! Chihiro! Wake up Chihiro!"

Jiro came out of the back of the house and saw the man with Chihiro. "Hey! Hey! Who in the hell are you! You get away from my fiance!"

The man growled..


	2. Chapter 2

Chihiro looked out upon the all too familiar place and a breath hitched in her throat. Things changed, even things in the afterworld. If there was anything she knew, it was change. She had changed herself. So much had changed, and yet, in the end, she was only coming back.

Chihiro heard the honking of the glorious ship and ruffled her hair, feeling the hairtie that still lie in her hair.

_"It will protect you..." _Zeneba's voice sounded in Chihiro's head and she took her hand out of her hair lightly. "Because it was made with love." Chihiro said to herself, standing up tall and proud as the ship neared the surface. "Right! I'm going to give this my all and never give up!" Chihiro shouted towards the shore, "Just you watch me!"

It was a couple of seconds before she turned around and realized everyone on the ship was watching her. She rubbed her head lightly with a small laugh and cleared her throat before feeling the boat come to a complete stop. Chihiro looked over and saw the spirits, one by one, grabbing whatever possessions they had and heading off the ramp.

Chihiro took a deep breath, remembering her last adventure in the spirit world. Would she get to see Haku? Where coulod this possibly take her? Chihiro bit her lip and quietly follwed the line of spirits off of the boat and onto land. It was all so familiar, every pebble every building. She'd seen this place in entirety before. Every stall held a memory when she'd come here as a little.. human. She had turned there, she'd come running down those huge steps. Chihiro watched the glowing paper lantern and absentmindedly listened to the chatter of spirits all around her.

_"Oh it's all so good!"_  
_"You know, in the human world, there was never anything like this."_  
_"I know! I was a grasshopper!"_  
_"I just had so many problems.."_  
_"It's been so nice meeting so many people that understand!"_

Chihiro's mind was swarmed with different thoughts and feelings that she almost walked off of her intended path. But soon enough, her thoughts all cleared as the bridge came into view. She felt her breathing increase, although, she didn't know why. The first time she'd been here, she had been told to hold her breath by Haku. She could see herself now, walking, her breath held as she walked alongside Haku. A sudden thought came to her mind as she put her hand up to her face.

'Did I really look like that?'

Chihiro's mind snapped back to the present and the past disappeared, taking the image of herself and Haku away and replacing it with a small, lost looking spirit. It couldn't have been more than seven, at the most. Her past quickly forgotten, Chihiro made her way over to the little girl.

"Excuse me.. are you lost?" Chihiro asked.

The girl looked up to her and nodded lightly. Chihiro looked around. She didn't see anyone else around who knew, or even cared that she was there.

"Do you know where you are?" Chihiro asked lightly.

The girl shook her head and looked to the ground. Chihiro put her hand on the girl's shoulder and squatted down to her size. "Where were you last?" Chihiro asked, softly, and calmly.

The little girl sniffled lightly and cleared her throat. "I was on my way home in the car with my mom and dad. It was raining, and mom and dad were fighting again. I told them to quit it. I told them that fighting would just get us killed, and I threatened to jump out of the car." The little girl started to cry, "And I unbuckled my seatbelt, and they still didn't hear me.. So I opened my door and jumped out."

Chihiro had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Somethng nagged at her, something important. But.. "I suppose... you do know where you are.." Chihiro said lightly, squeezing the girl's shoulder lightly. "But right here, is the bath house.. Where spirits come to relax and unwind."

The little girl was still crying and Chihiro held out her hand the little girl taking it with no hesitation, but still crying. It was only then she remembered that she had.. exactly no money. How were they supposed to make money in a spirit world? Did they have to work for an eternity more after they died? Chihiro sighed and looked at the girl. There was only one thing to do now..

It was dark, and the girl, who had stopped crying, was clinging onto Chihiro, much like she'd clung onto her mother on the way into this place. Chihiro and the girl perched on the hill, quietly awaiting the perfect moment to go..

"Now!" Chihiro harshly whispered, running into the garden, the little girl not far behind. Chihiro found the old ricketly fence and opened it, letting it swallow her whole before making sure the girl got through. Chihiro closed the gate and watched the stairs in dismay as they seemed to get lower and lower before her eyes. Chihiro gulped and watched the girl behind her.

"Alright, these steps are pretty hard to get down, but if you're very careful-"  
"I can do it." The girl said, starting to step down the stairs with no problems. Chihiro watched amazed as the girl got down, unharmed and waited for Chihiro.  
Chihiro gulped once more and sat down, carefully sliding herself down the steps. Her legs were a great deal longer, and finally, she got the courage to stand up and walk, very carefully, and very slowly. Chihiro smiled, breathless and almost laughing at how cautious she was being. She started walking normally down the steps and sighed.

And then she slipped. Running down the steps at the speed of light, Chihiro screamed as loud as she could as her legs, out of her control, straight into a wall. She didn't dare move. In fact, she half expected the frog creature to open the singular window and puff out a mouth full of smoke. Chihiro was glad when no sound was made, but she backed away from the wall to see the girl, staring at her strangely. Chihiro rubbed her head with a small nervous laugh before moving on, rounding the corner to the boiler room doors.

Chihiro pushed the girl through and watched her eyes move around with wonder at the scene going on before her. But Chihiro smiled warmly. Because what she saw, was what she had seen over and over again. The soot balls moved vigorously, lifting coal and throwing it into the incinerator while Kamaji grabbed ingredients from every which drawer and sent them up in little baskets.

"Order up!" Kamaji yelled up, whether they could hear or not. She felt the girl quiver.. Chihiro couldn't blame her. Chihiro smiled and walked into the light.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you." Chihiro said with a smile.

Kamaji looked at her, unsmiling. "You don't get a free ride into the bathhouse, it takes money to get in here! Now get outta here, before I report you to Yubaba."

Chihiro was stunned. "But, Kamaji! It's me! Chihiro! Don't you remember? I came here and begged you for a job all those years ago! You took me in, you even told Lin I was your Granddaughter!"

Kamaji just kept working.

Chihiro just stood. But, the little girl stepped forward. "Excuse me.."

Kamaji turned his head. "And what do you want?"

The little girl looked to Chihiro. "Tell him that I'm Chihiro."

"That spirit-"  
"That's not a spirit if I ever saw one." Kamaji said.

The girl paused for a second. "Whatever she is.. she said her name is Chihiro."

"Chihiro...?" Kamaji said.  
Chihiro knew by now that Kamaji couldn't understand her, so she only nodded her head up and down vigorously.  
"My God.. How can I be sure?"

This question was aimed at the girl, who looked back at Chihiro.

Chihiro stopped for a second and then sighed. "Tell him I tried to take the soot balls jobs, and that I worked here with Lin, and that.. and that I fell in love with Haku and that.. and that I saved him and I had to go back, but.."

The girl turned to Kamaji. "She said that she tried to take the soot balls jobs, and that she worked her with Lin. She said that she fell in love with Haku and that she saved him, and that he sent her back.."  
The girl turned to Chihiro, "You've been here before? You can show me the way back.

Chihiro shook her head. "I was living then. I was able to be in this world, but now I... Now I don't know what I am, or if I can escape."

"What brings you back, Granddaughter?"

Chihiro beamed and would've gone up and hugged him, had he not seemed so estranged.

The girl looked at Chihiro for an answer.

"First things first," Chihiro said, "Ask him how I look."

The girl turned towards Kamaji and sighed. "She asked how she looks.. I think she's curious as to why you can't recognize her."

Kamaji looked towards Chihiro and stroked his chin with his third arm on the left. It had been apparent that he'd never stopped working through the whole ordeal.

"She looks... Well... you have the appearance of a human, but you're a white, sort of a grayish color. I can't make out your face very well and I can't understand the language you're speaking. But it's no surprise really, I've never learned to speak the way spirits do."

The girl looked at Chihiro, puzzled. "Actually, to me she looks.. normal. Like a human.. only.. only.. you do look pale, almost as if you're closer to your previous world than this one."

Chihiro looked at the girl. She was much more enlightened. With a passing thought, she realized that this girl had been much more enlightened to the ways of the worlds than she had been at that age.

Chihiro shook her head lightly and sighed. "Whatever, just tell him.. tell him we both need a job."


	3. Chapter 3

Kamaji and Chihiro had spoken through the small girl, whose name was revealed to be Yuniko. She was short, very short, and had jet black hair cut short. She was cute, and reminded Chihiro of a small raven, lost and just trying to be.

"Well," Kamaji said after awhile, "There's only one thing to do. I guess.. It's time to see Yubaba."

Chihiro's hands went up to her cheeks. She had forgotten all about the sour old lady. She wondered how the baby was doing... It had been so long. Was it.. had it really been 12 years? How would little.. well.. not so little.. Boh would look like after all those years.

"Well, we better go then." Yuniko said to Kamaji with a smile, "Wow.. I never knew how much you've already been through here. It makes me wonder.. how my adventure will go."

Chihiro giggled lightly and Kamaji smiled.

"Hey Kamaji, you got any roasted newt left? I've been craving one all da-" The girl adorned in pink, with long brown hair looked at Kamaji and his company and smacked her palm to her forehead. "Oh boy not again. It's too bad Haku isn't here, I thought it would've been an exact repeat."

"Lin?" Chihiro questioned, "Lin is that you?"

Lin's head snapped over to the Spirit. "Oh my god.. Sen! What happened to you? How long has it been, forever!" Lin questioned. "Wow.. It's been years.. What happened after you went back? How'd you even get back here?"

Chihiro hesitated a bit before breaking out in a huge smile and rushing over to hug Lin. Chihiro herself had grown to be as tall as Lin was, but somehow, Lin didn't really feel real anymore. She was now just a former shadow of what she had just been, and apparently, what she was supposed to be.

"I don't know!" Chihiro said, "But right now, Yuniko and I need to find a job, or at least a place to stay. Do you think you can do us the honor?"

Lin looked at her and the girl strangely before sighing. "You're the only person I know of who can be eager about getting a job at this place." Lin paused and then added, "Alright, let's go. But I can't say Yubaba will be pleased. Neither will Boh, you kind of left him alone here. But it's nothing that can't be resolved."

Chihiro nodded with a big smile and Yuniko cheered. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But... what had Lin meant about Haku not being here?

"Hey, you.. you get away from her!" Jiro said, watching the man cradle Chihiro's body as if she were his.

"You'd better back away. I'm warning you now." The man said, cradling the girl, "Just back off and let me go, and you won't get hurt."

"Put down my fiancee!" Jiro shouted at him. "Now!"

"I don't want to hurt you." The man said, "If you don't let me take her, she'll die. Then we both would be out of luck."

Jiro hesitated, before speaking. "Who are you?"

The man stood up with Chihiro and stared at the man. He never saw what Chihiro could possibly see in him. "I'm Kohaku. Goodbye." And with that, Kohaku ran out of sight, as fast as he could. He had to hurry. If he didn't hurry, Chihiro could be stuck, as a spirit, forever. It wasn't bad for him but.. if living was what made her happy, then he wanted to accomplish it. Whatever it took.

Chihiro and Yuniko stood in the elevator silently with Lin, who was operating it with the mastery that came over 20 years of experience. They switched, this time with no danger of Chihiro being 'found out', and transferred to the top floor, this time with Lin.

"Are you guys really going to go through this? Do you really want to go through with this again?"

Chihiro nodded and smiled, Lin giving a small huff. "You guys are crazy. Well, I'm off. Ask Yubaba for a raise while you're there will ya?" Lin questioned, laughing before taking the elevator back down to the lower floors.

It was oddly quiet, as usual. Chihiro remembered these quiet halls by heart. Every piece of furniture was newly refurbished into her mind, a sight she dare wouldn't forget this time around.

Chihiro walked up to the scary door knob and grabbed it lightly, knocking as hard as she could without doing damage to the solid gold faces.

"Well well well, look who's here! Come in."

Chihiro looked at Yuniko, and beckoned her forward so they could go through the doorway. It was dimly lit, just as Chihiro had remembered it. She remembered the route she was pulled through, carefully counting the hallways to get to Yubaba's office.

The fireplace crackled warmly in the dimly lit atmosphere, accenting the room in all of it's true beauty. Gold lined the walls, elegance lay in every corner, although none of it was quite organized, you could tell how important she was. Yubaba looked up from her papers, looking up at Yuniko. Chihiro smiled lightly as she watched Yuniko shivered. Yubaba's stare just gave you that feeling sometimes.

"What brings you two here?" Yubaba questioned.

Chihiro was the first one to pipe in. "We wanted the chance to work for food and board." Chihiro said firmly, "We both came here quite unexpectedly, and we don't know how the money system of the spirits works, or how you're supposed to get it."

"Why... is that you Sen? What brings you back to the bath house? Just couldn't resist coming back could you? Well, there's nothing here for you now. I'm afraid you'll just have to suffer. Now get out. This bath house is for paying customers only.

"Please?" Yuniko offered, "We're confused, we're lost, and we have nowhere to go. The least you could do is benefit from our confusion and gain money."

Yubaba thought for a moment and shook her head. "Haven't you heard what happened the last time I employed Sen here? She cost me money! Too much money!"

"Then can't I work to pay you back?" Chihiro questioned.

Yubaba grinned and then got out her contracts for them to sign. "Sign your names, please." Chihiro wrote her full name, and so did Yuniko. Yubaba smiled.

"Ah, I had forgotten your real name was Chihiro. Alright Sen, and you... Kiko. Go downstairs and get to work, you've caused me enough trouble, just don't get into anymore or I'll ban you both from this bath house.

Suddenly, Sen heard limber footsteps from behind her and she turned around. There was a very very very tall child, she thought just a little older than Yuniko. Sen's eyes widened.

"Boh?" Sen questioned, "Is that you?"

He had shedded most of his baby weight, and now looked like a fairly skinny giant, if there was such a thing in this world. He still had his button nose and his beady black eyes that seemed to look down on you and your standing. But there was now a full head of rusty blonde hair, falling just past his ears.

"Do I know you?"Boh said, looming over Sen and Yuniko.

"No Sweetie, they're just two new workers Mommy signed. Now go onto bed and I'll read you a bedtime story."

"Okay Mom." Boh said, crouching through the door to his room and disappearing behind the curtain.

Sen took a minute to regain focus and then turned to Yubaba. "He's so different."

Yubaba frowned with a small sigh. "Well well dear, you'll learn soon enough that even in this world, things seem to change."

The room was silent except the crackle of the fire and the scribbling of paper. Yubaba looked up after a moment and turned up her nose, sniffing lightly. "You're free to leave. I would have Haku escort you, but he seems to have disappeared."

"Haku is Missi-"  
"I said you may go." Yubaba said, a force grabbing both of the spirits by the tail end of their clothing and dragging them backwards out of the hallways from whence they came.

Yuniko and Chihiro looked at each other before watching the elevator close and the handle move to the floor they were headed to.

Haku broke the barrier to the abandoned theme park and ran through the darkened rooms out to the other side. He ran as fast as he could before running into water about a foot deep.

"Shit!" Haku said, clinging Chihiro's body to him. The body had already begun to get paler. If he didn't get the body to her spirit soon.. she'd become a full fledged spirit, forever.


	4. Chapter 4

Chihiro started coughing lightly, and then a little more severely as the elevator came to a stop. She banged her fist against her chest once or twice to finally stop before taking a deep breath. Yuniko looked at her with worry before smiling a little. "Hey! You're becoming a little bit clearer!" Yuniko said with a smile.

Chihiro looked at her, alarmed. "Am I, Kiko?" She asked lightly, knowing full well what that really meant. There was a small, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Somehow.. even now.. she was afraid of fully dying.

"Wow.. you're so pretty! I couldn't really see you before.." Kiko said with a small laugh, looking Chihiro over.

Chihiro looked down at the little girl and blushed lightly. "Wow.. thanks.." Chihiro said. It was true, she'd gotten to become for feminine and less pudgy faced.. not that that had really mattered. All of the people here had known her and judged her the same way, even without being as pretty as she was, or wasn't now. In reality, she had been.. well.. normal. She hadn't been beautiful, but she certainly wasn't ugly.

Chihiro started coughing a bit more before heading to the other elevator. She was still shuddering by the time she pulled the control down.

"Are you okay?" Kiko questioned, reaching out to pat Chihiro's back. Chihiro just nodded her head and stopped the elevator, moving into the room she and Lin had once slept in together. Chihiro went over to the drawers and started pointing out the clothes she needed before she promptly fainted on the floor. Even unconscious she started gasping.

"Sen? Sen! Answer me! Wake up! Wake up!" Kiko said, kneeling down and frantically shaking her. The 22 year old was lying on the floor becoming clearer and clearer every second that went by. Her hair color, a dark brown, was the first thing to form. Then her skin slowly started filling in with color. "Sen.. Sen.. Chihiro!"

Suddenly, a strong force pushed Kiko all the way to the back wall knocking the breath out of her. She opened her eyes to see a man kneeling down beside Chihiro, and placing something on her. Kiko watched speechless as the man's cold, hard gaze turned to her, protective and willing to do anything to save the girl in front of him. She was reminded of a fierce Lion.. or maybe even a-

There was coughing from where Chihiro lay, and she slowly started to darken from Kiko's sight.

"Chihiro!" Kiko shouted, "Chihiro! Don't leave me!"  
"Either she leaves you or she dies." The man said, not paying attention to the small girl's tears.

Chihiro's body suddenly shot up in violent coughing, expelling the water that had been held in her body for hours upon hours on its journey to the bath house. She coughed for awhile afterwards, shivering to herself and hardly noticing the arms wrapped around her. But when she finally felt them, she held them lightly and turned around to see Haku, a little older, but still the same one she knew.

Chihiro turned around and hugged him softly, and then tighter, and tighter. "I knew it.. I knew you were real."

Chihiro hugged him tightly until he pulled away, smiling down at her and caressing her face. She didn't know half of what he'd gone through to get her all the way to the bath house in time. Chihiro smiled up at him happily, until she realized something. Chihiro looked over to the corner of the room to see a mere shadow of a little girl.. a spirit she could no longer see. "Kiko.."

The spirit made a noise that she could not understand, and Chihiro's eyes were cast downward, at the cold, hard floor. Something felt missing from her vision, from her body. Her mind felt foggy, her body felt heavy. She felt as if this were a sickness, like the flu, although she hardly thought there were any diseases in this world. She felt sick, nauseated..

"Come on, let's get out of here." Haku said to Chihiro, pulling her up from the ground. He started running, and Chihiro ran with him, her heart elating. She didn't have to work for Yubaba, all she had to do was get out of here with Haku and live happily ever after! Or.. so she thought.

Haku rounded corner after colorful corner of the bath house. It seemed almost like a dream.. a wonderful dream that she was about to escape..

"Not so fast Haku."

Yubaba's voice made their heads turn. Haku didn't stop, and ran them both into an invisible wall, which even Haku could not escape.

"You're forgetting your contracts. And as long as you both have the intent to leave, I'm afraid I can't let you leave the bath house. I've placed a barrier all around the bath house, a unique one to both of you. Until your contract runs out or is nullified, I'm afraid I can't let you leave." Yubaba lit a pipe and started smoking it, earning a glare from Haku.

"There's nothing you can do to stop me from breaking the barrier." Haku said hostily. Yubaba only smiled and blew smoke from out of her nose, making Haku smile as well.

Haku let go of Chihiro's hand and started to morph into a huge, white dragon. With one last glance at Chihiro, he shot forward at the barrier. A large, white mark first appeared as Haku pressed onward, as hard as he could. The large mark became larger and larger until a huge crash occurred.

The barrier lay before Chihiro, shattered. Her eyes widened when she saw what lie on the other side. There lie Haku, unconscious, but breathing, no more than three years old. Chihiro cried out and ran to him, grabbing him up in her arms and turning to Yubaba.

"What did you do!" Chihiro shouted, "Change him back!"

"I knew he wasn't going to obey. I also knew that he could break the barrier fairly easily. So, I put an extra charm on it." Yubaba said, the barrier reforming. "He doesn't have to work in this state, but you do. You are to work extra hard until the spell wears off. After that, all you two have to do is walk out of here, hand in hand."

Chihiro was silent before looking down at the little boy in her hands. "How long?"

Yubaba smiled. "That's a girl. Right now, five years.. If you slack off. The harder and longer you work, the less time you have to stay here, and the older Haku grows. You could be out of here in a month.. If you never stopped working."

Chihiro scowled before running back down the hall where they'd come.

"You start work tomorrow Sen! Don't forget! The more you work, the less time you spend here!"

Chihiro found a spare closet to sit in with Haku, a small room, until he woke up. She looked at his sleeping face and caressed it lightly, tears coming to her eyes. But, she saw his eyes fluttering open and she smiled down at him, a small, sad smile. He smiled up at her widely before looking around and looking down at his hands. He saw them and looked up at her, and promptly started wailing. He rubbed his eyes, sobbing like only a three year old could.

"Chi chi.." Haku sobbed lightly, "I'm little."

Chihiro only laughed lightly and started crying herself. "It's okay.. It's okay.. What are you crying about? I've become a cougar."

Haku buried his head in Chihiro's shoulder and wiped his nose on her shirt, gaining a small laugh. And for the rest of the night, they laughed and cried until they both fell asleep in each others arms, innocent and untroubled.


	5. Chapter 5

It was early morning when Haku was awaken by the small light streaming in the cracks of the closet. It took him a minute, or ten, to figure out what was happening. He couldn't think straight, he kept being distracted by the smallest things. The cracks on the door, how pretty Chihiro looked when she was sleeping.. Haku reached his small hand up to tough her face and he smiled and giggled, wondering how it would effect Chihiro if he started playing with her nose.

Chihiro was waken by an itching sensation on her nose that just wouldn't go away. She brushed her nose and heard a small, delightful laugh. She felt it again and brushed a small hand away again. This was accompanied by a small giggle again and Chihiro sighed, opening her eyes to a joyful Haku laughing scandalously before looking at her with a small frown. Chihiro gave a large sigh and sat up, bringing Haku onto her lap facing her.

"Listen Haku, I know you're only a little boy right now but.. but I.. I love you. And I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get you back to normal, okay? I'll work harder than I ever have before, and I'll eat while working and give up all my time so you can grow. Just know that.. Okay? Never forget that. So, be nice for me, okay? Don't get into trouble. For me, alright? Can you do that?"

The little Haku in front of her blushed and put his head down, a major case of the giggles overcoming him. Chihiro sighed and stood up, taking the small Haku up with her and walking out of the closet, looking around.

It was still daytime. The silence of the bath house was truly shocking. All you could hear was the sea and the wind. Haku's hand whent up to Chihiro's shoulder to hang on as she headed throughout the hallways, looking for something to keep the toddler occupied. But.. there was only one place she knew of that had a whole bunch of toys. Could she actually pull it off...?

Chihiro sneaked a silent Haku up to the top floor the back way, making absolutely sure that nobody could track them. Haku started giggling and Chihiro made a shh motion with her hand. She listened very carefully and looked out the window, hearing the flapping of wings and two birds fly off into the distance. That was her cue.

Chihiro slipped through a crack in the huge doors and silently, with the silent, experienced feet of a woman who constantly got up in the middle of the night and snuck to the refridgerator for milk. Chihiro slipped through the silent halls, looking every which way. It would be simple. All she needed was one. Just one, and that was it.

Chihiro looked around and saw three doors. She knew one was to Yubaba's office. The other two were unknown. And so, diving blindly into the situation, Chihiro reached for the door on the right, and reached for it before it flew open.

Chihiro looked up to a very tall young man, and Haku looked up too before widening his eyes and pointing. "Big!" Haku said. "Boh! Boh boh boh boh boh boh!" Haku kept saying to himself.

Boh leaned down to get a closer look at the two, making Chihiro's hair stand on end. Chihiro smiled widely and then started to take off running, but Boh caught her by the shirt tail and picked her up.

"I've got a feeling you're not supposed to be here." Boh said, looking at the two of them. "I don't know either of you.. Should I report you to mother?"

Haku laughed joyfully and clapped as Chihiro's face lost its color. She violently shook her head no.

"I think I should.." Boh pressed. Well, it was now or never.

"You don't remember me?" Chihiro questioned, "I know you were only a baby then, but I'm the one who helped you walk. I also brought you to your Auntie's house for the first time! You defended me, the last time I was here. You don't remember any of that?" Chihiro questioned.

Boh shook his head. "Not a bit of it."

"Really?" Chihiro questioned, "Not even when you threatened to break my arm if I wouldn't play with you? Even when I showed you the blood on my arm because you were afraid that any germs would kill you? You don't remember when you were turned into a mouse and you stuck with me until you decided to turn back?"

Boh paused for a moment. "No...? No I.. really don't recall.."

Chihiro scowled lightly. "You do too remember. I might look different now, but there's no way you could've forgotten that!"

"Okay okay! I.. vaguely remember, but what does that have to do with right now?"

Chihiro smiled lightly. "I need a pillow."

"A pillow? You snuck all the way up here.. for a pillow?" Boh said unbelievably, "My mom has tons of gold and so many things you could sell and get a hundred pillows for!"

Chihiro smiled bashfully. "I only need one.. and besides, I already feel guilty just asking for one." Chihiro sighed. "So, you got a pillow to spare kid?" Chihiro questioned.

"Nope." Boh said, putting them down, "Sorry."

"Hey! That's not fair! You have about a million of them!" Chihiro said, "I just need to keep him occupied while I work 20 hours a day!"

Boh sighed. "Okay okay! But you owe me!"

Chihiro smiled and nodded, holding out her hand. Boh shook it and pulled the two of them into his room. "You can have..." Boh looked around, and so did Chihiro and Haku. THe room was still filled with a ton of giant pillows, but they had gotten bigger, and they'd changed quite a bit. The colors had been changed from pastels to dark blues and reds, and blacks. There were also numerous neon pillows.

Boh picked one up, bigger than Chihiro. "This one."

Chihiro blinked. "Okay. Just set it down and I'll be on my way."

Boh smiled and set it down. "Nice seeing you again. But don't come back or Mom will kill me."

Chihiro laughed lightly and started dragging the pillow, inch by inch away until Haku picked up up effortlessly. Chihiro blinked and shrugged lightly, secretly smiling to herself that she didn't have to carry it anywhere. So, they went throughout the building with a rather large pillow as everyone slept around them.

When they got back to the closet, Chihiro pulled out a needle and a thread from the extra supplies and she started ripping away at the pillow. Haku didn't seem to mind, he was busy playing with the fluff that fell out. The pillow had been silk, and hard to sew together, not to mention that the golden yellow was blinding, but it was what she had, and she was thankful that she at least had that.

Chihiro had finally ripped apart and resewed the the pillow's material together to form three small pillows, two identical, and yet oddly fitting outfits for Haku, and a beatifully put together golden teddy bear. Chihiro had put the rest of the fluff away to use at a later time and she smiled at Haku, who was already sleeping with his teddybear, three pillows, and oddly fitting clothes.

Chihiro smiled before she heard the whistle of the boiler. And then she frowned. She was already tired, but now, the hard work was starting. She left Haku in the closet to sleep, locking it behind her and running to Lin's room to get dressed. Afterall... it was going to be a long night.


End file.
